Iris Scanning 06/01/2007

Biometrics are the rage today. You can use your fingerprints to secure your data, to enter your home and, of course, to access your computer. There are fingerprint readers on mice, keyboards and you can buy them as stand-alone devices too. But fingerprint scanners are just not in anymore. The trend is pointing towards iris or retinal scanners.

Banking on Biometrics 05/31/2007

Pictet Bank, one of the largest Swiss banks, is using biometrics to identify its customers to give more security.

Respect Copyrights and Use Royalty Free Images 05/30/2007

Many webmasters do not realize that photographs are copy written and in many cases illegal to use a photograph or image that you find on the web without properly licensing it. Most webmasters do not have time to go out and photograph all of the subjects they wish to include in a website. Webmasters are best off using royalty free photographs. Royalty free photographs are generally purchased and there is no recurring fee for the use of the photograph. The purchaser may use the image(s) as often as required within the license terms and conditions without paying for the use of the image each time the image is used. Fortunately there are a number of stock photography websites where webmasters can purchase a single photograph for a fixed fee, or they can purchase a stock photo subscription, that allows for the subscriber to download multiple photographs. Respect Copyrights and Use Royalty Free Images

Monitor Government Websites and Announcements Using RSS 05/30/2007

Stay current on security issues reported from government agencies using RSS feeds. Government Central  makes it easy to locate RSS feeds from a variety of government agencies.

UK Burglary Hot Spots 05/30/2007

People living in some UK cities face almost double the chance of being burgled as those in more secure areas, according to a new report. Researchers from insurer Endsleigh found that residents in Nottingham are almost twice as likely to make a claim than an average household. Leeds and Hull were also found to be among other cities where the risk of being burgled is above average.

Google Might Be Breaking Privacy Laws 05/29/2007

Google has been told that it may be breaking European privacy laws by keeping people's search information on its servers for up to two years.

Adware Maker Sues Anti-Spyware Company 05/27/2007

Adware maker Zango is fed up with having their "software" removed from people's computers by PC Tools (see Story) without notification. For those not familiar with Zango, they are the folks that were mixed up with the Myspace worm, allow for the redirection of affiliate traffic, and recently settled with the FTC for $3 million dollars for deceptive adware practices and obstructing the ability to uninstall. Adware Makers Sues Anti-Spyware

Hackers Hack Asian Security Site 05/26/2007

Chinese hackers have defaced the website of a police-run security company that is leading a new effort to strengthen the Communist government's control over the internet.

China Arrested AIDS Activist 05/25/2007

China barred a prominent AIDS and environmental activist and his wife from leaving the country last Friday, put them under house arrest and accused them of endangering national security, the pair said. endangering national security

Russia A Threat to Cyber Security? 05/25/2007

Estonian Defense Minister Jaak Aaviksoo said that the cyberattacks were a threat to national security, and that it was possible the Russian government was behind them.

Intelligent Network Security 05/24/2007

Juniper Networks has introduced new security software, including a new version of Netscreen OS, and is now emphasizing the need for network security to distinguish corporate applications

Internet Censorship on the Rise 05/23/2007

Internet censorship is growing worldwide, with 26 out of 40 countries blocking or filtering political or social content, a study reported Friday. The survey carried out by experts at four leading universities found that people in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa were often denied access to information about politics, sexuality, culture or religion.

Home Security Measures 05/22/2007

Anyone is susceptible to robbery, home invasion, or assault. Criminals often survey their target before entering and taking a few precautions will make your home and those who dwell there less likely to be victimized. Those who have experienced someone coming into their home will often report the feeling of being violated. More than the items lost or destruction of property, the concern for the lives and well-being of those in the home are the foremost concerns. It can effect daily activities, comfort and self-assurance. There is generally enough concerns in life that take worry, that your home security should not have to be one on them. Home Security Measures

Teacher with Porn 05/21/2007

The sentencing of Julie Amero, the Connecticut substitute teacher convicted of exposing seventh-grade students to pornographic images - pictures that she and a number of security experts contend were spyware-produced - was postponed until June 6.

Hackers Prey on Pirates 05/19/2007

IT security and control firm Sophos is warning businesses of the security and productivity risks of allowing counterfeit software programs to run on their company networks. The warning follows research from the Business Software Alliance (BSA) that revealed that more than a third of PCs worldwide are running pirated software.

History of Spyware 05/18/2007

The term spyware denotes a class of computer programs that: 1. Install without permission (or on the basis of misleading info) 2. Maintain a presence on your PC on terms you never agreed to 3. Interface with a human (or machine) you have not requested a relationship with 4. Transmit data using a system you have no control over 5. Typically do not come with uninstall routines history of spyware

Royalty Free Photos So Copyrights are Not Violated 05/15/2007

Professional photographs in a website give the website a professional look. Many webmasters do not realize that photographs are copy written and in many cases illegal to use a photograph or image that you find on the web without properly licensing it. Most webmasters do not have time to go out and photograph all of the subjects they wish to include in a website. Webmasters are best off using royalty free photographs. Royalty free photographs are generally purchased and there is no recurring fee for the use of the photograph. The purchaser may use the image(s) as often as required within the license terms and conditions without paying for the use of the image each time the image is used. Fortunately there are a number of stock photography websites where webmasters can purchase a single photograph for a fixed fee, or they can purchase a stock photo subscription, that allows for the subscriber to download multiple photographs. Photo Wizard Photo Wizard is a subscription stock photo website. Webmasters or publishers subscribe to the site and can download as many images as they would like. There are no recurring fees or royalties for using the photographs on Photo Wizard. On Photo Wizard, subscribers can navigate through the photographs by navigating the directories categories. The Photo Wizard website also has a search function that allows subscribers to use keywords to locate photographs of specific places or things. Visitors can purchase a single photo or they can purchase a subscription allowing them to download an unlimited number of photographs for X amount of time. Subscribers can also subscribe to an RSS feed so they are notified when new photographs are posted and available for download. http://www.photo-wizard.net/

Security Waste 05/15/2007

Three years after the state shelled out $28,000 in federal homeland security money to buy seven metal detectors and package screeners to improve security at the Capitol, the equipment remains in storage. The Bureau of Capitol Security lacks staff to operate the machines, which have never been used.

Microsoft Asks Black Hats for Help 05/14/2007

Microsoft hosted members of the hacking and research communities this week for its biannual BlueHat security conference, where the company looks for guidance about the threats that will be coming at them. What did we learn? asked a spokesman for the Microsoft Security Response Center team in a blog. ...That Microsoft cannot solve the security problem, but we can raise the bar substantially to the point where finding bugs in Microsoft products is hard, and building reliable exploits even harder.

Gambling Prosecution 05/14/2007

A grand jury in Salt Lake City, Utah, has charged seven people and four companies with multiple felonies related to processing credit cards for gambling Web sites.

Identity Theft Indictment 05/15/2005

An Ohio man faces 54 charges after being indicted for allegedly using stolen identities to open at least 35 online brokerage accounts in an attempt to bilk the companies of $3,348,000. Matthew S. Kichinka, 25, of Strongsville, Ohio, was charged with 50 counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, two counts of bankruptcy fraud, and one count of transmitting interstate communications containing threats to kill or injure another person.

Pirate Appeals 05/10/2007

The first person worldwide to be convicted of distributing movies over the popular online BitTorrent network appeared in Hong Kongs highest court Wednesday to appeal his jail sentence.

Security Feeds 05/09/2007

Great directory of security feeds and alerts. Search for any type of security related issues, events or concerns, and locate a relevant feed. The RSS feed will allow you to monitor information on that specific topic.

Software Piracy Top 10 05/08/2007

China and Russia were two of 10 countries placed on the organisation's priority watch list of countries that do not provide an adequate level of intellectual property rights protection or enforcement, or market access for persons relying on intellectual property protection. Other countries on the priority list were Argentina, Chile, Egypt, India, Israel, Lebanon, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine and Venezuela.

Secret Service 05/07/2007

Barack Obama is the first candidate to ask for and receive the protection from the Secret Service, now under the umbrella of the Dept. of Homeland Security

Texas Allows Social Security Number Be Posted 05/07/2007

It seems as though Governor Perry has signed into law a bill that allows county and court clerks to disclose Social Security numbers contained in documents held by their offices as long as it is done in the "ordinary course of business." This means that your Social Security number can now be posted online as part of public documents such as mortgage records and tax liens.

Credit Cards for a Dollar 05/04/2007

Hackers are selling fake US-based credit cards on the Internet for as little as one dollar, and a full set of data for a fake identity for as low as 14 dollars, a study by a Web security firm said.

Linux Security Applications 05/03/2007

Even though we know that Linux is quite secure by default installation of nearly any distribution, if you want to be sure that it is secure enough there are applications and services available that will make your computer/system more secure and manageable. Linux Security Applications

Google Needs to Police Advertisers 05/02/2007

Google could avoid future malware attacks carried out using advertisements posted on its Web sites if the company more thoroughly investigated customers of its AdWords system, according to security and legal experts. On April 25, researchers with security software maker Exploit Prevention Labs announced that they had uncovered hard evidence that malware distributors were using advertisements placed via Google's automated AdWords system to infect unsuspecting end-users with virus code.

Tips for Spying On Your Competition 05/01/2007

The old adage, "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer", is applicable not only to personal relationships but business relationships as well. While I'm not suggesting that you befriend your competitors, it is important that you are cognizant of your competitors' business ventures and methods. It is important to realize that while monitoring your competitors is essential, it could easily become an obsession. Therefore, it is crucial that you strike a balance when incorporating it into your business plan. There are several ways to conduct successful stealth competitive intelligence operations. While it is fanciful to imagine yourself as a secret agent or spy, none of these techniques are difficult, hidden or secretive. In fact, most of them are tools or services available to all businesses. Tips for Spying on Your Competition

Egypt Blogger Offline 04/30/2007

One of Egypts most prominent political bloggers has decided to call it a day, citing harassment by security services as his main reason to quit.

IRS Warns of Internet Scam 04/30/2007

Be careful, the IRS is warning taxpayers about an Internet scam that sends out fake emails. They direct people to a web link that requests personal and financial information, such as social security, bank account, and credit card numbers.

China Threatens US 04/29/2007

U.S. complaints to the WTO over commercial piracy in China will "badly damage" cooperation, Vice Premier Wu Yi warned on Tuesday, insisting that China has made great strides in protecting patents and copyrights.

Free Security Apps 04/28/2007

Take a look at 103 Free Security Apps

Teens Concerned About Security 04/27/2007

Turns out it isn't just parents, politicians, and lawyers worrying about teen safety online. The majority of teens themselves actively manage their online profiles to keep the information they believe is most sensitive away from the unwanted gaze of strangers, parents and other adults. complete article

Top 10 Internet Crimes 04/26/2007

The IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center), a partnership betweeen the FBI and the NW3C (National White Collar Crime Center) issued a report for the year 2006. It's brimming with interesting statistics, including the Top 10 IC3 Complaint Categories: Category % of complaints Auction Fraud 44.9% Non-Delivery 19% Check Fraud 4.9% Credit/Debit Card Fraud 4.8% Computer Fraud 2.8% Confidence Fraud 2.2% Financial Instiitutions Fraud 1.6% Identity Theft 1.6% Investment Fraud 1.3% Child Pornography 1.0%

Yahoo Sued For Helping Chinese Authorities 04/25/2007

The wife of a Yahoo user jailed in China for promoting democracy online is suing the Internet search engine company for helping Chinese officials track him down and convict him.

US Editor Charged with Sex Crimes 04/25/2007

A former editor at the entertainment magazine Us Weekly was sentenced on Friday to six years in prison for attempting to seduce an undercover FBI agent posing as a minor on the Internet.

What Can Colleges Due to Keep Students Safe 04/24/2007

Campus wide text messaging systems that notify students and staff of lock downs or campus emergencies. The technology is there, and there is really no excuse for colleges and universities to not implement a messaging system, so that they can instantly text all students and faculty with the single click of a mouse. PageGate has been around since 1996, why are campuses not using it?

Privacy Advocates Attempt to Block DoubleClick Deal 04/23/2007

Consumer privacy groups on Friday sought to derail Google Inc.'s $3.1 billion deal to buy online ad supplier DoubleClick Inc., filing a complaint with U.S. regulators to block the merger on privacy grounds.

Feds Leak Social Security Numbers 04/23/2007

The Social Security numbers of 63,000 people who received Agriculture Department grants have been posted on a government Web site since 1996, but they were taken down last week. Free credit monitoring is being offered to those affected.

Children are Not Cattle 04/20/2007

California's state Senate has struck a major blow against the enemies of mankind in the inevitable war against The Machines. Legislation approved Monday would prohibit public schools from requiring the implementation of radio-wave devices that broadcast students' personal identification and monitor their movement around campus — information the mechanical horrors could theoretically use to turn our children into livestock. complete article

Child Porn on the Rise 04/19/2007

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has reported a fourfold rise in online images depicting the most severe form of child sexual abuse. The IWF 2006 Annual Report (PDF) warns of a growing demand for more severe images, and claims that nearly 60 per cent of commercial child abuse websites sell images of child rape. complete article

Security Phones 04/18/2007

Cell phones have long served as the mother of all convergence devices, swallowing our PDAs, digital cameras, MP3 players and more. Now phones are becoming the terminal of choice for monitoring home security. When a perp breaks into your house, your security system calls your phone, and shows you the live video.

Communication Software for Emergency Personnel 04/17/2007

Take a look at how emergency services are using text messaging to overcome communication issues. EMS Communications: PageGate is a modular paging gateway that allows for messaging to encompass a number of different aspects in Police or Fire Departments. Messages can be sent from workstations on a network, via web pages or e-mail accounts. This software is modular and can be scaled to meet the size of a Department. PageGate can also be integrated with existing applications to add messaging or paging functionality to existing dispatching applications.

MS Word Defects are a Feature 04/16/2007

Security vulnerabilities which cause Word 2007 to crash and burn are being defended by Microsoft:Word 2007 was designed to crash when it runs out of ideas as far as opening up malformed documents, so that it doesn't have to think as hard.The 'flaw' was caused by-design behaviour that improves security and stability.

Student Hacked School Computers - It Was Easy 04/16/2007

A Mauldin High student has been charged with violating the state Computer Crime Act, after telling police he accessed personal data in the Greenville County school district's computer network to show the district how easy it is to do, according to a warrant and incident report. Robert Charles Sipes, 17, of Simpsonville told police he had warned the district months before that its system wasn't secure, according to a Mauldin police report. Ten days earlier, a district official told police that two students at J.L. Mann High had hacked into the district's secure computer network, according to a Greenville police report.

Discipline for Spyware 04/15/2007

The Federal Trade Commission told Congress yesterday that it needs more authority to issue civil penalties, and it outlined a strategy to put more spyware purveyors in jail. But the agency doesn't bring many actions itself: only eight spammers were targeted last year, and 11 spyware operators in the the last two years.

Security Logos 04/14/2007

Collection of security logos for security websites. Not a bad collection.

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